Foot-actuated valves for controlling the flow of fluids through a faucet are useful in a variety of settings, especially in applications related to the healthcare industries. For example, surgical suites often have scrub-rooms in which the water supply to the wash basin is operated by the user depressing an actuator valve located in the floor. In this way a surgeon may scrub without handling the faucet valves. This eliminates one source of contamination. Dental offices also utilize foot controlled valves for sanitation in a similar manner.
In foot-actuated valve systems an on-off valve is plumbed into the fluid line. A faucet or some other delivery valve is located downstream from the on-off valve. The actuator valve is connected to the on-off valve. When the actuator valve is depressed it causes the on-off valve to open, allowing fluid to flow through the valve and to the faucet. Release of the actuator valve causes the on-off valve to close, stopping the fluid flow.
Where water is the fluid to be delivered, one actuator valve is usually connected to a pair of on-off valves. One of the on-off valves is plumbed into the hot water line, the other is plumbed into the cold water line. When the user depresses the actuator valve, both the hot and cold on-off valves open simultaneously to allow water to flow through the on-off valves to the faucet. The faucet is pre-set to regulate the volume of water flowing through the faucet, and the flow of hot water relative to the flow of cold water. Water at the desired temperature is delivered in this manner.
A problem with this type of a foot-actuated valve assembly is that there is only one pre-set temperature setting available at the wash basin. In other words, the mixing valve is pre-set to deliver water at a given temperature by regulating the rate of flow of hot water relative to the rate of flow of cold water. If the user wants hotter or colder water, the mixing valve must be hand adjusted to alter the relative rates of flow. This defeats the purpose of the foot-actuated valve.